


oculorum

by aeuire



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Akechi Goro is Bad at Feelings, Angst and Humor, Gen, M/M, Persona 5: The Royal Spoilers, Unresolved Emotional Tension, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Unresolved Tension, the boys spend some time at jazz jin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-26
Updated: 2020-05-26
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:14:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24384904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aeuire/pseuds/aeuire
Summary: Akechi Goro deals with his rather complicated feelings towards the leader of the Phantom Thieves and his own impending demise the only way he knows how: very poorly.
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren, Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist
Comments: 11
Kudos: 83





	oculorum

**Author's Note:**

> WARNING FOR THIS FIC JUST IN CASE YOU DID NOT READ THE TAGS: POSSIBLE P5R THIRD SEMESTER SPOILERS! read at your own risk :)
> 
> okay so like. i have emotions about the third semester and i cannot stop thinking about them... especially because of akechi’s bitchass. anyway, i hope you enjoy this brain vomit that i poured into a doc with no more what ifs on loop

Akechi Goro cannot understand for the _life_ of him just how Kurusu can continue to look at him like that, even after learning of all that he has done—even after nearly experiencing a very real, permanent _death_ at Goro’s hands!

Quite frankly, Goro does not know whether to call him a fool or insane. Perhaps he’s both. It’s not Goro’s issue. It shouldn’t be Goro’s issue, he thinks scathingly as he sits opposite from the other boy at the jazz club, sipping a drink the color of a turquoise poison dart frog. It doesn’t taste half-bad, though the fizz burns his throat as he gulps it down.

He only wishes it were poison. Escaping this world, while cowardly, would beat succumbing to this farce of a reality. To be fair, both options are cowardly. And yet, it seems those are his only options, if his suspicions about his own existence are true.

“So, Kurusu,” Goro sneers. “Care to tell me why I’m here?”

“I don’t know,” Kurusu says, “why _are_ you here?”

Truth be told, Goro doesn’t have a real answer to that question either, but he refrains from making that fact known. He slams his drink back down on the table—loud enough to make Kurusu twitch, but not loud enough to disturb other customers. “You know I meant the reason for this invitation.”

“I felt like it.” Kurusu has the barest hint of a smile on his face as he says it.

God, Goro could _strangle_ this little shit. If this conversation had taken place prior to the _incident,_ he would have pasted a pretty smile on his face, simpered an ‘I see,’ and left it at that. As it is, however, Goro has run out of patience since then. “Don’t give me that vague, flowery bullshit. Just get to the point.”

“I simply wanted to enjoy a peaceful evening with you, Akechi,” the insufferable brat responds. “After all, it’s been awhile.”

_Peaceful evening, my lily-white ass._

Goro scoffs derisively. “I could not fathom why you would believe that to be a bright idea. Are you an idiot?”

“Who knows,” Kurusu says wistfully, and it takes every fiber of Goro’s usually impeccable self-control not to deck him in his pretty little nose.

If only this drink was alcoholic, Goro thinks mirthlessly. Maybe then he could stomach this talk. “Well, if that’s all you wanted to tell me, I’ll take my leave.”

His drink is just about empty, anyway. The ambience is so nice that he doesn’t want to quite leave yet, but he would prefer not to be in Kurusu’s presence for any longer than he is required to.

Kurusu’s lingering gaze is uncomfortably fond, and Goro pinches his nose. _Don’t tell me... this sentimental halfwit is dim enough to believe our previous outings had meaning?_ Goro wants to laugh.

By fucking hell, it seems that’s the case. The former detective now wants to slam his head into the table. Why, he laments, _why_ is the leader of the Phantom Thieves such a daft buffoon? And _why_ is Goro humoring him by even sitting here in the first place? There have been few words exchanged, and yet, Kurusu still appears completely unfazed! Even when all he has done in the past fifteen minutes is stare at Goro’s face!

“I can order you another drink,” the raven-haired boy offers in lieu of bidding him goodbye, and Goro really does slam his head on the table—not too harshly though, because he isn’t a masochist like the dunce sitting across from him. “My treat.”

Yes, only a masochist would invite their former attempted-murderer to have a drink with them. “I think I’m quite good,” Goro grits out. He shouldn’t be losing his composure like this, but everything about Kurusu Akira simply _infuriates_ him. How much longer will Goro play along? Until he’s magicked out of reality by that delusional donkey—ah, what was his name—Maruki? Goro hates everything about this situation; there simply is no way for him to truly win, is there?

But Goro isn’t exactly unfamiliar with those types of situations, so perhaps he should cease his internal complaints. They won’t solve this issue, anyhow. The best thing he can do for now is allow Kurusu and his merry little band of thieves muck their way through the palace and defeat Maruki. Balance will be restored, and Goro won’t have to think about it any longer because he’ll be _gone._

Kurusu still hasn’t stopped staring at him, and Goro raises his head. “I’ve killed people, you know. It’s funny that you’re this comfortable sitting with me, even knowing that.”

“Eh, I could probably take you.”

Goro snorts because that isn’t untrue—he probably could. He already _has,_ Goro thinks almost bitterly. Almost. The past is in the past, and there’s nothing that Goro can do to change it.

If he dwells on his regrets and how he could have changed the past, he’d be no different from the blathering zombies of citizens that Maruki’s reality has affected. Goro doesn’t offer Kurusu any more response than that, instead choosing to flag down a waiter to order the most expensive drink on the menu. “That’s on you, by the way,” Goro says, “since you so generously offered to pay.”

It isn’t as if Goro is short on cash, but he’s still vindictive enough to enact a petty revenge like this. It’s the small things, Goro thinks spitefully, since he can no longer have the big ones. Yes, they are allies, but that doesn’t mean that Goro has to like Kurusu or any of the Phantom Thieves. Mostly Kurusu.

 _Especially_ Kurusu—Kurusu and his smarmy, winsome little grins, his stupid cheekbones and jawline, and his ugly, scarlet gloves. The rest of the Phantom Thieves he could honestly not care less about, but _Kurusu._ He’s absolutely unsightly, and he even has the _gall_ to act like this to Goro’s face—act like a perfect gentleman, even after all they have been through.

It sickens him.

“That’s fine,” Kurusu replies once again, without breaking his intent look. What does Kurusu even want from him?

He almost asks that, but what comes out instead is, “What are you, some pushover?” Goro knows he’s not, but the way he’s acting right now makes Goro want to take the boy by the shoulders and _shake_ him. _Where_ is the ire that Goro had caught a glimpse of in Shido’s palace? Goro hasn’t seen heads or tails of it since then, for reasons unbeknownst to him. Kurusu only shrugs at the question.

The waiter soon brings back Goro’s new drink, setting the embellished glass down in front of him.

Or maybe Goro does know why and simply doesn’t want to acknowledge those reasons. He won’t acknowledge them; this whole clusterfuck will end soon enough, and Kurusu won’t be seeing him again to divulge those reasons. Because, again, Goro will be _gone._

Kurusu smiles that utterly dastardly smile once more, before opening his fat mouth to ask yet another inane question. “How’s the drink?”

The drink tastes unfairly divine, though Goro refuses to divulge that piece of information and allow Kurusu the satisfaction. “It’s fine.”

Where on earth does this boy’s endless patience come from, if he can indulge his own former nemesis like this?

“That’s good.”

 _That’s good,_ Kurusu says, as if they aren’t on the verge of completely losing reality as they know it! Goro’s face twists into a sour expression. Good fucking Lord. He can’t wait until it’s over. Maybe he’ll receive some peace of mind once he’s in hell.

**Author's Note:**

> hope you enjoyed this! feel free to talk to me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/aeuire)


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